2024 has been an excellent 12 months for the Sonic IP, not solely due to the success loved by Sonic X Shadow Generations, but additionally as a result of we’ll quickly be getting the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film, starring Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog. 2023, nevertheless, was a distinct story, and Sega president president and COO Shuji Utsumi has spoken extra about that.
Particularly, in an interview with Eurogamer, when requested in regards to the Sonic franchise’s inconsistency, Utsumi touched on the success of releases similar to Sonic Frontiers and Sonic X Shadow Generations, whereas additionally mentioning the comparative failure of the 2023 sidescrolling title Sonic Superstars, which he labelled a “disappointment”.
“We have been making an attempt to do one thing inventive with Sonic Frontiers,” he stated. “With Sonic Superstars it turned out to be a disappointment, when it comes to the result in comparison with what we delivered. This time we’ve got Sonic X Shadow Generations and the following Sonic film, so we’re pushing issues within the transmedia path – films and video games working in concord to make issues larger. However the core [of the experience] is the sport. The sport must be superb or else there is no such thing as a transmedia impact.”
Not lengthy after the sidescrolling platformer’s launch final 12 months, Sega confirmed that the sport had obtained off to a slower-than-expected begin the place its gross sales have been involved, one thing the corporate would later go on to partially attribute to the sport releasing in shut proximity to fellow sidescrolling platformer Tremendous Mario Bros. Marvel.
As for what’s subsequent for the Sonic IP, at The Recreation Awards final week, Sega unveiled Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, the following instalment within the Sonic kart racing collection.
